Dig out your spades, time to be a tree angel again!

DAILY Mail readers are today being urged to ‘dust off their spades’ once again and plant trees for posterity.

Following the success of last year’s Be A Tree Angel campaign, UK forestry minister Lord Goldsmith is calling on readers to mark the start of National Tree Week.

Now in its 45th year, the event kicks off winter tree-planting season, the best time to commit young trees, known as whips, to the soil.

About 250,000 people take part every year, but Lord Goldsmith and Forestry Commission head Sir William Worsley said they hoped 2020’s event would be ‘bigger than ever’. They said: ‘Tree planting is one of those magical answers to multiple problems – including our contribution to climate change. Tree planting and land restoration is also the most effective way to stem the appalling collapse of biodiversity.

‘Our passion for the future of our woodlands has only grown in recent difficult months, as many of us have felt sheer delight spending time in nature.

‘ We are determined to harness that enthusiasm now to make the most of the multitude of benefits that trees bring.

‘The Be A Tree Angel campaign has been a great success, so we hope readers will dust off their spades again now.’

The Mail’s campaign, run with the Tree Council charity, raised more than £500,000, with contributions from Lord Sugar, Sainsbury’s, Lloyds Bank and generous Mail readers.

The pot will fund 5,500 orchards in 5,500 schools, with the aim of helping children learn about the vital contribution trees make to fighting climate change and pollution. Planting will begin next week.

The Mail has also given away thousands of holly, willow, oak and birch trees, and donated 20,000 spruce trees to Forestry Commission Scotland.

Sara Lom, chief executive of the Tree Council, said: ‘ The Tree Council is supporting the safe planting of 150,000 trees this winter, including over 30,000 orchard trees and fruiting hedgerows through the incredible support of the Daily Mail Be A Tree Angel campaign.’

For information on how to take part i n National Tree Week safely, visit www.treecouncil.org.uk.